Therapeutic riding center holds fundraiser at CBI

Friday

Aug 11, 2017 at 3:01 AM

By Rich Eldred

BREWSTER -- Horses have served mankind for millennia; they were our prime source for motor power just over 100 years ago. Today they’re doing double duty, providing psychological and therapeutic aid in Brewster.

The Emerald Hollow Farm on Run Hill Road operates the non-profit Emerald Hollow Therapeutic Riding Center, and the Chatham Bars Inn will host an art auction fundraiser for the group on Thursday, Aug. 17, from 6 to 9 p.m.

“The umbrella term is equine assisted activities and therapy,” Program Director Liz Adams explained. “One specialty is therapeutic riding. There are a lot of physical, emotional and education benefits.”

They work with veterans suffering post traumatic stress, wheelchair-bound youngsters and adults, and young children with disabilities.

“The horse program is based on the way the horse sees the world,” Adams said.

“They can help veterans develop relationships and manage their emotions. Horses are looking for benevolent leadership," she added, explaining, "Veterans may put on a front. A horse from 30 feet away can sense another emotion. It can sense the heart rate, muscle tension and respiration rate. So if a human approaches a horse and what goes on inside doesn’t match the outside the horse senses it and reacts immediately. Horses totally live in the here and now.”

In this case the veteran, if that’s who it is, will have to modulate his own emotions in order to be in tune with the horse. Relating to the horse hopefully leads to successfully relating to people.

“Through learning to work with horses the veteran has the opportunity for self reflection and self discovery,” Adams said. “The focus is on developing a healthy relationship through understanding the principles of horsemanship.”

Emerald Hollow still is a boarding farm and they take in older horses who need a home and give standard riding lessons. But in 2010 they began working with the Brewster based Latham Centers providing therapeutic rides for special needs youngsters. The students also learned to care for the horses.

They since begun a similar program with Cape Abilities and now work with the Cape Cod Veterans Center.

“Say someone is in a wheelchair and has a lot of physical challenges,” Adams postulated. “A horse has the same three components of movement a human does; forwards and back, side to side and rotational. So riding on a horse moves the body in a similar way to walking. It can help a person develop core strength, growth and fine motor control.”

And the horse also serves its oldest working function; transportation.

“A person in a wheelchair can’t go on a hike in the woods so now he can have access to a new area. Another piece is the joy and increase in self confidence we see in individuals,” Adams added.

So it was in 2014 Emerald Hollow began exploring expanding the program with staffing and equipment and creating a separate non-profit. That happened in May 2015. Adams was hired after that.

“We usually see about 30 individuals a week,” she said. “We see them once a week for ten weeks. We also do a couple of one-offs. We have five horses we use for therapeutic riding.”

Those noble steeds are Luke, Dewey, Geyser, Buddy and Tigger. Geyser is an Icelandic horse the others are quarter horses.

“That’s a well mannered breed,” Adams noted.

They ride on five acres but also have access to the Punkhorn Parklands that abuts the farm.

Tickets for the Thursday Aug. 17, fundraiser cost $25 and will permit you to participate in the art auction run by the Merlin Gallery and enjoy food and drinks.

The preview hour for the artworks is from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. and the Devils Purse Brewery of Dennis has donated beer. The Chatham Bars Inn will also run a cash bar. The Reckless Roots will provide music.

Ten bonus items will be auctioned off including a lobster dinner for 10, a personal chef, a sunset cruise, local beer and wine and a fishing charter. Adams hopes to have all tickets sold by this weekend.

One-hundred percent of the proceeds will go to support the program and they do utilize volunteers to help. For more information go to emeraldhollow.org or to volunteer call Adams at 508-896-0064.